Sutton Forest Sand Quarry

We vehemently object to this project for countless reasons including but not limited to:
- overall environmental impact
- water runoff and aquifer pollution, incl polluting the headwaters of the Sydney water catchment
- lowering water table an undetermined and unpredictable amount affecting local water supplies
- air and water pollution with serious health, farming and environmental consequences
- endangering threatened fauna and flora species identified on site and surrounds
- disturbing on-site indigenous heritage rock-cave art, deemed highly significant by the OEH and local
indigenous communities
- noise, vibration and light pollution. 24/7 disturbing the peace and tranquillity of local residents, wildlife
and The Shine of Our Lady of Mercy, a large church and monastery on the mine boundary
- health risks
- economic impact to local resident
- developer with poor track record - the mine company “Hi-Quality” has an appalling record with 24 EPA NSW penalties and, now that it has established in Victoria, it and the company director, Patrick Hallinan, already face 33 new EPA charges. This
is not a fit and proper operator that can be trusted to abide by governing regulations
- traffic safety and danger with up to 344 trucks a day (250 average), 24/7 for the next 30 years leaving and
entering the Hume Highway

This mining request is substantially the same as their previous application; there's no good reason to review this application on any merit-based rationale. We request the application is rejected.

I am objecting on environmental,health, and life style grounds. We all know now there is climate change with unprecedented weather events constantly occurring and if the sand quarry was approved would affect water, the wild life corridor and contribute to climate change.
There has been attention drawn to the health problems of silica dust and the sand quarry will produce this cancer producing dust. The applicant for the quarry has a terrible track record for breaching environmental standards in the past. The transportation of the material from the proposed site will create dangerous truck movements.
This development will reduce land values and tourists coming to this beautiful area.
Previously the proposed coal mine in the area was refused development by the NSW government and this project has worse implications. People and their health,the climate and the environment must come before money and profit.

I object on environmental grounds.

The dangers for this project far outweigh any potential benefit, I object to the Sutton Forest Sand Quarry Project (SSD-6334) for the following reasons:
- The environmental impact, impact on biodiversity, damage to the major wildlife corridor
- The impact on the reparatory health of Southern Highland residents with the now known risks of Silica dust
- The impact and dangers of a huge increase to the trucking traffic coming from the site.
- The impact on local water supply and potential downstream effect to the Sydney catchment area.

This environmental vandalism does not warrant even cursory consideration.
If it is approved it will be legally challenged to the fullest extent of the law..

Environmental concerns

My concerns raise from the following:
- environmental destruction through water runoff and aquifer pollution,
- location at the most fragile point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, a region targeted for
biodiversity, and the unique Long Swamp ecosystem, which is listed as a threatened ecosystem.
- endangering threatened fauna and flora species identified on site and surrounds,
- air and water pollution with serious health, farming and environmental consequences,
- polluting the headwaters of the Sydney water catchment,
- long term health risks to my neighboring and Highlands residents from dust through mining and high-grade
silica rock processing and transporting, disturbing on-site indigenous heritage rock-cave art, deemed highly significant by the OEH and local indigenous communities
- pollution damage to surrounding bushland, crops, gardens, solar panels and residences,
- removal of sandstone with its critical role in the ground water hydrology of the wider area,
- lowering water table an undetermined and unpredictable amount affecting local water supplies,
- noise, vibration and light pollution. 24/7 disturbing the peace and tranquillity of local residents, wildlife
and The Shine of Our Lady of Mercy, a large church and monastery on the mine boundary,
- traffic safety and danger with up to 344 trucks a day (250 average), 24/7 for the next 30 years leaving and
entering the Hume Highway,
- the visual horror of a 110-hectare pit replacing native bushland and farmland,
- The mine company “Hi-Quality” has an appalling record with 24 EPA NSW penalties and, now that it has
established in Victoria, it and the company director, Patrick Hallinan, already face 33 new EPA charges. This
is not a fit and proper operator that can be trusted to abide by governing regulations.

This is being done to our beautiful Southern Highlands by a Sydney developer without benefit to our
community and only damage to our environment. A mine like this has no place in any environmentally
sensitive or populated area.

I object to this SSD on the grounds of its serious and negative impact on the aquifer, the biodiversity of the Long Swamp, its severance of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, its serious and negative impact on the health of the local community and wildlife in the vicinity of the project and the unlikelihood of
remediation at the end of the project in 30 years’ time.
This is in the middle of the rural-residential community of the Southern Highlands.
Our local communities, specialist experts and Government Departments and Wingecarribee Shire
Council has serious concerns about this project.
The mine company proposes only minor changes to the initial plan and our concerns remain valid.
If approved, it will have enormous impacts on the local environment and all but destroy our local community.

It will cause major disruptions and disturbances to the local and wider communities as outlined in submission attachment

I strongly object to the Sutton Forest Quarry.
I have been living in this area since I was born, I have been bought up to love, respect and care for this environment. I am a keen bushwalker and consider myself an environmentalist. My mum lives next door to this proposed quarry 13304 Hume Hwy, This is our family home, I am connected to it even though my address is Willow Vale/ Mittagong. We always gather here for family gatherings, I am here regularly to work the flower farm, to enjoy the bushland and the wildlife that are always here. This Quarry threatens our home and our way of life. The flower farm requires clean fresh air and a reliable clean water supply. Why do these rich Sydney people think they can come and ruin our beautiful peaceful way of life. They clearly do not see the rich environment that supports so many animals, plants and families. They will destroy it. They just see the easily exploited resource of sand that is superficial, easy to extract and close to Sydney, so its cheaper to transport.

It is wrong on so many levels.

I am concerned about:
Health: Dust air pollution
This is 95% silica sandstone. So Ripping, Crushing and processing on site then loading transporting it presents significant risk. The Risk impacts to community health rated “moderate risk” relating to dust, air, silicosis” pg 197-198 which is contrary to what is said else where in the report.
They put in a monitor in neighbouring property but haven’t been back to check it!



Water:
Ian Wright, Alan Lindsay and other Government Dept have highlighted major concerns for the impact this could have on hydrology systems lowering the watertable, even the proponents have written,
“Impact way of life” there is a Medium risk to changes to the quality & quantity of water pg197-198.

Effects this will have on Long Swamp creek and its Ecology
This is classed as a Threatened Ecosystem by the OEH. Damage to Long swamp creek is a real risk with changes to the water flow underground by removing the sandstone that act as a massive filter. Damage from surface water, silt runoff into the swamp and smaller creeks feeding it. But the long term effect of the backfill products, breaking down and polluting the area with contaminants is huge risk. The only mitigating plan is they will monitor the fill coming in!

Noise /Vibration and Light pollution. 24hrs day
Again the only mitigating plan is to monitor! But no mention of action. This will ruin the view of the night sky and disorientate the nocturnal animals.

Damaging the peace & tranquillity of the area
Special note to Shine of our Lady of Mercy, they get a monitor to measure noise, my place which has been identified, that it will have above construction level noise gets no consideration or monitoring.

Environment damage to the Great Western Wildlife corridor 12 threatened or endangered species identified on this property alone, including the koala, Gang Gang, Glossy Black, Powerful Owl
This location is at the most narrow part of the corridor. There are known Koala tracking’s to the North West of the pit. This is now a Threatened Species!! We should be protecting their habitat. I helped plant trees with the “Glossys in the Mist Project” a Wingecarribbee Shire program to help strengthen the habitat for the Gang Gang.

Indigenous Art in the rock shelf.
- It has been deemed Highly significant and culturally important by the Local Indigenous Community and the OEH.
- Very few people knew about it, we used to enjoy walking down there, taking visitors and showing with pride the ancient heritage of this area.

Visible modelling diagram
This quarry will be very visible from the highway and surrounding properties.
Even they acknowledge it will remain very visible despite tree planting mitigation.


Effect on Tourism
This is the Gateway to the Southern Highlands, Tourism plays an important part of our economy.
With-in 8-10km radius. There are at least 20-30 Air B&B type accommodation, there are Several Wineries and Restaurants and thousands of visitors come to the area for the Church services at the Shine of our lady of Mercy. They do spend money in the area.
If we extend the radius to 14km which captures Exeter & Sutton Forest the number would more than double.
Many more Jobs are generated by this tourism in this area than would be by having a quarry.
Sutton Forest, We do not want to be known for having one of the largest sand quarries in Australia.
EPA history POOR. At least 24 fines in NSW since 2012 , currently 33 charges in VIC We don’t trust them Nor should Government departments with this level of disregard for regulations.

I am connected with this land, it is special, it needs protecting. These amendments do little if NOTHING to mitigate the risk of damage. They are merely words to appease the DPE. Please reject this quarry.
Madeline Ryan

This is an unnecessary and environmentally unsustainable project being proposed by a company with a poor record of environmental compliance.

I am writing this submission to object to the sand quarry. I write as one of the priests who lives at the Shrine of Our Lady of Mercy - Penrose Park, which means I live on one of the properties directly adjacent to the proposed quarry, so I am someone who will be directly and personally affected by the quarry.

My concerns are many for both myself and for the Church that is under my care.

I want to start with saying I don't trust any of the statements that come from the company behind the quarry. They say that there are modern risks to air quality or to the groundwater, for example, and I have no way to evaluate such claims; I am simply not qualified. But I can, for one thing, they say. In the traffic report, when talking about Hanging Rock Rd, which the smaller vehicles accessing the site are supposed to go along, they say it has light traffic of 20 cars and a few trucks each day. I don't need any kind of professional training to tell you that is way out. They are just bending the facts and outright lying to make their case stronger. If they do it here, I am sure they do it all through their reports.

But to actual concerns for myself and the people that visit the Shrine:

Water
Here I am both worried about the level of the water table and the pollution of it. We depend on bore water, so if the level drops, we are going to be without water; if they are going to dig about 40 meters below the water table (that is a very long way down), that is certainly going to happen. When water is becoming an increasing valuable and limited resource I can't understand how one can contemplate accepting this. Once the hole they dig is going to be filled in, what kind of guarantees do we have that they will not put something in that pollutes the water? They are going to be the ones self regulating here, and given their track record the question is not if they will, but when. Sure they would get fined for it, but compared to what they would be making, it would be a cost of doing business. Meanwhile we have again lost our water and would be suffering the health effects of the pollution from before it was reported. It is not just us that is affected by that; we are in the Sydney catchment area, and this is a big deal.

Air Pollution
With silicosis being in the news so much of late, and this mine planning to crush the sandstone it mines, it should be clear what some of the concerns are here. But it is not just silicosis there are lots of health effects from high levels of dust in the air. The legislation hopefully soon makes plans like what they want to do impossible (well the planned legislation only affects workers, sadly not people that would live nearby) but till then you at least have the option of not approving such a highrisk activity.

Noise Pollution
This quarry is going to be 24/7 so the noise is going to be unrelenting for the locals. Constant noise for 30 years. Besides the effects this might have on my own mental health, or even physical, though loss of sleep and the constant disturbance, the oppressive noise, it would also affect the Shrine because people come here for peace and tranquility. They will stop because that will be gone. I get a new person tell me at least weekly how much they love the tranquility of the place.

Traffic
I don't believe for a moment that trucks will follow their proposed route. They will take shortcuts along Hanging Rock Rd, and that will be deadly. A truck will kill someone, I am sure of it.

Wildlife
The local council would make me go through a long and difficult process to cut down a single gum tree, and though that is difficult, rightly so. Here, we are talking about cutting down hectares of trees, destroying the habitat of many endangered species. I don't see how this can be contemplated in this day and age when the awareness of the need to protect our native wildlife is so clear. And it is not just the destruction of habitat. It is the effects of all the above-mentioned pollution, the groundwater, the surface water runoff, the noise pollution, and the light pollution that will all affect the environment and the flora and fauna.

This quarry is just a pure bad idea. It should not be permitted now or ever.

I would like to register my objection to this proposal, citing a multitude of concerns that span the realms of environmental, cultural, and economic considerations.

See attached letter

I strongly object to the proposed Sutton Forest Sand Mine project. The key reasons are diverse, and include:
• Environmental destruction through water runoff and aquifer pollution.
• Location in the most fragile point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, endangering biodiversity and the unique Long Swamp ecosystem.
• Endangering threatened fauna and flora species and crucial koala habitat
• Air and water pollution with severe health, farming, and environmental consequences.
• Southern Gateway to the Southern Highland threatening tourism with many Airbnbs and Wineries within 8 km radius
• Pollution of the headwaters of the Sydney water catchment.
• Long-term health risks from dust, mining, and high-grade silica rock processing.
• Disturbance to on-site indigenous heritage rock-cave art.
• Damage to surrounding bushland, crops, gardens, solar panels, and residences.
• Removal of sandstone critical to the groundwater hydrology of the wider area.
• Lowering the water table with undetermined and unpredictable effects on local water supplies.
• 24/7 noise, vibration, and light pollution affecting local residents, wildlife, and The Shine of Our Lady of Mercy.
• Traffic safety and danger with up to 344 trucks a day (250 average) entering and leaving the Hume Highway.
• Visual horror of a 110-hectare pit replacing native bushland and farmland.
This destructive project must not proceed!

I strongly object to this proposal because because of the following points

•The location is in the most fragile point of the Great Western Wildlife Corridor, endangering biodiversity and the unique Long Swamp ecosystem.
• Endangering threatened fauna and flora species and crucial koala habitat
• Air and water pollution with severe health, farming, and environmental consequences.
• Removal of sandstone critical to the groundwater hydrology of the wider area.
• Lowering the water table with undetermined and unpredictable effects on local water supplies
• Traffic safety and danger with up to 344 trucks a day (250 average) entering and leaving the Hume Highway.
• The visual horror of a 110-hectare pit replacing native bushland and farmland.
• There is no need for this mine, as nearby Green Valley sand mine extracts token amounts just to maintain its license

I strongly object to the Sutton Forest Sand Quarry. It will be a disaster for the residents of the Southern Highlands - people, flora and fauna.
This is an assault on fragile bio-diversity of bushland as well as on the agricultural nature of the fertile land in this area. As a place of residence and food production close to Sydney, which offers a healthy and clean environment, Sutton Forest and the Southern Highlands are an important resource. This project will have a negative environmental impact on air quality and damage to the water table through geological destabilisation will also affect Sydney's water supply. Traffic of trucks is a safety concern.
A project of this size is unsuitable for a rural residential area and is not in accordance with the future planning intentions of the Wingecarribee council or the State Planning Authority which is looking to increase housing in this area.

This project will hinder many Highlands residents, while harming the environment and furthering already busy road systems.
The pollution will effect many areas and impact the water table and water quality with undetermined amounts of effluent.

This project is inappropriate and dangerous to the health of all residents living near and in the greater district especially, Exeter, Moss Vale, Burradoo and Bowral.
Health risks, from air born dust and silica, when the wind blows down here the dust will cover all residential populations to the North East of this quarry.
Traffic - it is fanciful to think 250 - 300 trucks a day will drive to Marulan from Sydney to make a 'U' turn, the extra kilometers will put a huge impost onto the applicant, NSW Govt roads and public as well as being very dangerous. The South bound trucks have to go the Illawarra Hwy, this is a very dangerous intersection 80k speed limit, the traffic enters at a 45 deg angle and cannot see traffic coming from Canyonleigh, there are near misses daily, the raised road at this intersection is collapsing and will need continual repair for the life of the quarry. This will go on for 30 years and then Sydney Waste will be trucked after that, they will NOT travel to Marulan to turn around, how long will that take?
The NSW Govt is creating a wildlife corridor, this quarry will destroy this corridor.
WATER WATER WATER do you know how many people are employed extracting water from aquifers here? If a mine below the aquifer doesn't destroy the water businesses when the quarry hole if filled with SELF REGULATED WASTE will!
Sydney Water - the Hanging Swamp feeds the waters of the Sydney Water supply, after 30 years of destruction of the natural filters, the filling of the hole will pollute the Nepean River and down stream. What will happen to the all the Water that fills this hole? Apart from turning productive farms (Award winning Olive Groves etc) into waste lands the water will be pumped into the catchment, will it be filtered?
The area was a major route for Aboriginals and there are Cave painting on the site that will be impacted. What else is there? Rubbing , Scare trees... there are sure to be.
A 24/7 365 days a year operation has no place in a residential area, believe it or not people live here, and the local monestry attracts large number of worshipers on a regular basis.
The Sydney to Melbourne Highway is extremely busy and is only getting busier, allowing staff and and other cars to cross the Highway here is dangerous, access to the proposed site is totally inappropriate.
There are other quarries in the area that are not in use, how is this a Major Project? It is not justified. If mining Sand in Sydney is inappropriate then it is certainly inappropriate in this area.

I thoroughly object to this monstrous mine pit being dug in the centre of our rural-residential
community and then filled with waste. This is a sensitive and important ecological area with
neighbouring residences, tourist destinations, a large busy church and an Aboriginal heritage site that has been treated with respect by all of us locals.
With fury, I see the DPE has completely excluded my previous submission from their concerns as I don’t live here full time and also have another residence. Our family has lived here, alongside the proposed mine, for 50 years. I, with my family, spend much of my life here caring for our land, working our farm and enjoying this peaceful healthy clean lifestyle that we have chosen. Much of my childhood was spent here. My first jobs were here. I was married here and looked after my grandparents here. My future is here albeit now threatened by this raid on our community. Unlike the miner who lives in Sylvania Waters without any relationship to the area, this is my home. That he has the wealth to buy up local land for the purpose of this mine has no bearing on the matter. That the DPE considers I and my family to have no say in our futures is utterly outrageous. How can any self-important bureaucrat sitting in a Sydney office know or judge any person’s connection to country? All submissions are valid and should be recognized.
As DPE has relegated my voice to the insignificant and unworthy of listening to, I have the right to my outrage, disgust, mistrust, and my ill-view of these people. DPE should never have allowed this application from the start, just as they would had I applied to quarry alongside the proponent’s Sylvania Waters residence.
Adding to my disgust, this miner and waste tipper wantonly plan to ruin people’s lives and
livelihoods and claim they bring wealth to the local economy. They threaten the neighbours and community and will utterly change the character of our beautiful lands. Based on experience with these mines elsewhere, the likely outcome is that Sutton Forest will fall ill over the coming decades rather than thrive as people remove themselves from the wasteland of a poisoned environment filled with toxic dust, ongoing noise, dangerous traffic and the complete change in the culture and society that locals have created.
Then, they create a façade of respect for the area while at the same time assigning the oldest
buildings, the war memorial, the carved and painted Aboriginal cave, and the church as culturally insignificant because they are not “officially” listed. In fact, No mention of the cultural significance of a highly attended neighbouring church, nor that a church is a traditional centre of a community often well beyond the local district, as this unique church is. They even cynically bought the adjacent historically listed Bridgewater homestead and property to prevent objections. That these foreigners intend to create an environmentally
damaging, toxic mine within a rural-residential centre without batting an eye at the impact on the local community and the character of the Southern Highlands is amazingly willful, negligent and indeed sociopathic behaviour.
Should this disgraceful mine application be approved, these miners will drive people from their properties acutely and through chronic attrition. Already, just the stench of this application has forced buyers of recently divided properties to the north to withdraw - others who were unaware feel trapped. And they dare to say there will be no impact on house prices.
After devaluing the surrounding land, it will be snapped up for future expansion as I see they claim there are more than 100 million tonnes of stone available locally while this is an application for just 26 million of them.
Sutton Forest is built on community and family ties and social networking. It is a residential
community of families, professionals, local business owners and retirees with a strong focus on
ecotourism and small-scale specialist farming. The miner dismisses our community as just “lifestyle properties.” Indeed, this is the hard-working but beautiful lifestyle our community has chosen and created just as his are the joys of Sylvania Waters. Mining and all its destruction does not belong in the centre of our community.
Those proposing this mine do not value the environment or water on a small or large scale. They have no idea of what they see when looking at untouched lands inhabited by a vast assortment of wildlife. Even when shown this mine is at the most fragile point of the threatened Great Western Wildlife Corridor, which is now listed and mapped, their insatiable greed drives them to destroy it.
If the corridor is cut by clearing and a loud and dangerous sand mine massively bigger than any other, there is no hope for animal populations of the North and South to continue to survive their journeys and raise young. This will destroy the genetic strength of existing populations and even lead to extinctions. Australian extinctions must stop.
Looking at this Hawkesbury Sandstone they cannot see it as the permanent, costless, and high-quality water filter for the entire region and metropolitan areas and Sydney. This is the best water in the state, attested to by the many large bottled water companies drawing from Sutton Forest wells.
Instead, they see dollars, initially from concrete sand but eventually from a massive pit, well into the aquifer, to be filled with waste. This is the core business of the company. With NSW facing coming greater droughts and water shortages, I cannot fathom how governments will turn to desalination plants and destroy our main water sources. This is utterly senseless and without foresight of the dangers.
Do I trust this project and this miner, who ludicrously calls his company “Hi-Quality.” They have an appalling record of 24 NSW EPA and 33 VIC EPA charges against them! This is not a cost of doing business – this is sociopathic, plain and simple! We do not trust them with anything. We are afraid of them. Saying that they will monitor this and monitor that is ridiculous. More so that regulating bodies would accept that assurance. Our neighbour living alongside a small sandstone mining and crushing quarry recently died through dust pollution and likely respiratory silicosis despite years of pleas to the council to shut it down. We have every reason to fear these people.
This application is too ridiculous to even consider. That it even gets recognised utterly destroys faith in the way our land and resources are managed by our current custodians.
I remain hopeful that at least of the local community will be listened to, if not me. I hope anyone reading my submission will see the beauty and value of our lands, value the sandstone being underground with the trees thriving on top, and enjoy the growing, healthy, prosperous and vibrant life we have here. The proposed alternative is a wasteland providing a handful of itinerant jobs and untold wealth for one foreigner.
Thank you if you’ve made it this far – it would have been shorter and more passionate had I more time.
The odds are stacked against us. DPE has allowed them 5 years to make their responses and gives the community 28 days to grasp their turgid and fluffed up three-thousand-page cynical response that proposes insignificant changes. Fight this with all you’ve got and every weapon at hand.
Rosalie Fitzpatrick.